Waste Water Samples Predict More Epidemic Cases

Wastewater tests carried out by the National Center for Public Health (NNK) showed a slight increasing trend in the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus hereditary material in week 32 of the pandemic in Budapest and Debrecen.

According to international experience, an increase in the concentration detected in wastewater is 4-10 days ahead of the increase in the number of symptomatic diseases. The acceleration of the community spread predicted by waste water inspections can be prevented by complying with the epidemiological prevention rules that are still in force.

The NNK has been conducting wastewater testing since May to detect the new coronavirus hereditary material. Investigations began in Budapest, and weekly sampling is currently taking place at the three wastewater treatment plants supplying Budapest, the county seats, and some rural cities. At other sampling sites, the amount of viral heredity in wastewater is currently still stagnant. The hereditary material of the virus is excreted not only by asymptomatic but also by asymptomatic infected and newly infected, asymptomatic patients. The amount of virus hereditary material detected in wastewater is related to the infection of the population served by the given wastewater treatment plant.

Recently, several family and community accumulations, local COVID-19 epidemics, have developed that could have been prevented by complying with the epidemiological rules still in force. It is very important to avoid the emergence of new coronavirus foci, a significant part of which can be prevented by responsible human behavior. Due to the successful treatment of the first wave of the epidemic, the number of diseases in Hungary is relatively low, but at the same time, the virus is present in the country. From a localized epidemic caused by an infected person, the infection can spread further and community epidemics can develop.